Sherwood JV White

Knights
DEFENSE
Criteria for Playing Defense
Rule #1: If they don’t score…we don’t lose!

1. You must be a great tackler.

2. You must play with Enthusiasm.

3. You must be tenacious at creating turnovers.

4. You must do your job and trust others to do their job.

5. You must be mentally prepared to defeat our opponent.

Knowing your alignments & assignments are a condition of your opportunity to play.

6. You must possess a burning desire to pursue the football.

“A man’s value can be measured by his distance from the football when the whistle blows”
Key Aspects of Positions
• Noseguard - will line up head up to the center, able
to command and fight a double-team
• Tackles - will line up head up on the offensive
tackle and rely on quickness to fill gap
• Inside Linebackers (Stud, Mike, and Whip) - line up
behind three linemen, often blitzing
• Outside Linebackers (Hawks) - contain
responsibility, stay home on counter & reverse
• Cornerbacks - plays pass, must come up on run
• Free Safety - middle zone in cover 3, must come
up on run
 Gaps and Receivers
3 2

2 1

D C B A A B C D

• Every gap is labeled A-D

• Every eligible receiver is numbered on each side of the
center from the sideline in
• Strength calls will be made by both Mike and FS
 Base Alignment
3 2

2 1

LH LT N RT RH
C S M W C

FS
 Defensive Huddle

3 yards
sideline
M
S T N TW
C H FS H C

• Mike receives the signal from coach on sideline, references

wrist coach and calls play twice to huddle
• Mike will then yell “Ready” and rest of defense will yell
back “Hit” while clapping their hands at same time
• Mike makes strength call
 Strength Call
tight end

“strong right”

multiple receivers

“strong left”

• Strength is determined first by tight end

• If balanced, look to side with multiple receivers
• Otherwise, strength called to wide field
 Base Alignments Split-6 Able

T N T DE T T DE
C H H C C H H C
S M W M W

FS FS

Split-6 Baker Razor

DE T T DE H T N T H
C H H C C C
M W S W

FS FS FS
 Base Base Line Calls Pinch

T N T T N T
C H H C C H H C
S M W S M W

FS FS

Strong Weak

T N T T N T
C H H C C H H C
S M W S M W

FS FS
 Blitzing Basics

Crash Blast Axe Axe Blast Crash

• Calls will be formation-slant-blitz-coverage

• Most blitzes are simple man calls and the LB takes the gap not
covered by their stacked defensive lineman.
• Examples (all from Base alignment):
• Base Mike has the Mike LB blitzing the weak A gap
• Strong Stud and Mike has Stud in strong B gap, Mike weak A
• Hurricane - all three ILB blitz
 Base Whip Base Mike

P N Q P N Q
C H H C C H H C
S M W S M W

FS FS

Base Left Hawk Stud Base Stud and Whip

P N Q P N Q
C H H C C H H C
S M W S M W

FS FS
 Strong Whip Strong Right Hawk

P N Q P N Q
C H H C C H H C
S M W S M W

FS FS

Strong Mike Strong Whip and Right Hawk

P N Q P N Q
C H H C C H H C
S M W S M W

FS FS
 Weak Hurricane Weak Mike

P N Q P N Q H
C H H C C H C
S M W S M W

FS FS

Weak Left Hawk Weak Stud and Left Hawk

P N Q P N Q
C H H C C H H C
S M W S M W

FS FS
 Pinch Stud Pinch Double Hawk

P N Q P N Q
C H H C C H H C
S M W S M W

FS FS

Pinch Stud and Whip

P N Q
C H H C
S M W

FS
 Pass Coverage - FS & C
• We will usually be in Cover 3
• Corners are 5 yards off, outside shade of #1 receiver
• Exception: if receiver goes past outside numbers, stick to
numbers
• FS lines up to receiver strength call, which he makes after
seeing formation
• Corners and FS split field 1/4 - 1/4 - 1/2, with quarter field
to strength
• FS keys off end of line to his side (usually TE), looking for
stand-up into pass protection or release to route
• Corners face split between their receiver and end of line,
looking for same key
 Pass Coverage - LBs
1
2 1

H S M W H
1/4 1/4

C FS C
1/2
1/4 1/4

• Hawks / Stud / Whip participate in under zone.

• LBs read through their triangle - tackle/guard to near back
• First read step is ALWAYS forward, look for key, then react
• H / S / W / H split under zone in quarters
 Split 6
• We will transition into Split 6 from 3-5-3 from
time to time, particularly to stop a run-oriented
offense.
• The Stud position moves to Left DE, N moves to
RT, RT moves to Right DE
• Will call simple blitzes out of Split-6 (Mike, Whip)

LT N RT
3-5-3
S M W

Split-6 E T T E
M W
 Split 6 Defense Positions
3 2

2 1

H E T T E H
C M W C
FS
• Tackles - down linemen responsible for A & B gaps

• Ends - down linemen responsible for C gap

• Mike / Whip - inside linebackers responsible for A & B gaps and pass coverage

• Hawks - outside linebackers responsible for containment

• Cornerbacks - responsible for #1 receiver and come up on run

• Free Safety - covers #2 on the line (usually the tight end)

 ABLE Formation
3 2

2 1

H E T T E H
C M W C
FS
• Tackles - responsible for A gap

• Ends - responsible for C gap

• Mike / Whip - responsible for B gap and #2 or #3 receiver out of backfield (read near back)

• Hawks - responsible for D gap (contain)

• Cornerbacks - read #1 receiver, come up on run

• Free Safety - covers #2 on the line

 BAKER Formation
3 2

2 1

H E T T E H
C M W C
FS
• Tackles - responsible for B gap

• Ends - responsible for C gap

• Mike / Whip - responsible for A gap and #2 or #3 receiver out of backfield (read near back)

• Hawks - responsible for D gap (contain)

• Cornerbacks - read #1 receiver, come up on run

• Free Safety - covers #2 on the line